Shekhar Kapur was the first Bollywood director to cross over to Hollywood. His breakthrough feature, "Bandit Queen" (1994), received international attention when the Indian government ordered it pulled from theaters because of objections to the frank depiction of sex and "abusive language," as well as nudity. The true story of Phoolan Devi, a female brigand who spent five years on the run from authorities and became a popular folk hero with lower-caste Indians, the film was blocked from representing India in the annual Oscar derby for Best Foreign Language Film. Kapur's Academy Award-winning film, "Elizabeth," starring Cate Blanchett, was released in 1998.
A man of many diverse interests, Kapur formed Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation with Sir Richard Branson and author Deepak Chopra in 2006. His resume includes early years as an accountant and management consultant as well as a print model, actor, and host of the British TV series, "On The Other Hand," for Channel 4, which examined issues pertinent to the immigrant communities of the United Kingdom.
Kapur lives in Mumbai and New York City. You can visit his blog at www.shekharkapur.com. |
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